as in distinguishing
to understand or point out the difference in
it was hard at first to differentiate between the two styles of music
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Recent Examples of differentiating
According to Deezer, its users have a hard time differentiating AI tunes from the real deal.
—
ArsTechnica, 20 Apr. 2026
Los Angeles County leaders, meanwhile, have grappled with differentiating the two and regulating the products that come in the form of powder, capsules and drinks and have been linked to six county deaths.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Anonymity will continue to be Reddit’s differentiating factor.
—Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 26 Mar. 2026
Or, at least, differentiating that the sandwiches Wawa and other convenience stores and delis in the area sell are in fact called hoagies.
—Kaitlyn McCormick, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
By differentiating customers based on value and risk, the platform helps brands reward their best customers while protecting margins from fraud and abuse without manual intervention.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 18 Mar. 2026
Part of the trouble for Cook has been differentiating between separate bans in Idaho and Utah on buying candy with SNAP.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
Another key, differentiating factor today is that, unlike in 1970, there is a sizable Kurdish diaspora.
—Lily Hindy, The Conversation, 12 Mar. 2026
In small mountain settlements, the eyebrows were first and foremost in differentiating an innocent, unmarried young woman from a woman who had already married.
—Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
ArsTechnica, 20 Apr. 2026
Los Angeles County leaders, meanwhile, have grappled with differentiating the two and regulating the products that come in the form of powder, capsules and drinks and have been linked to six county deaths.
—Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Anonymity will continue to be Reddit’s differentiating factor.
—Jibin Joseph, PC Magazine, 26 Mar. 2026
Or, at least, differentiating that the sandwiches Wawa and other convenience stores and delis in the area sell are in fact called hoagies.
—Kaitlyn McCormick, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026
By differentiating customers based on value and risk, the platform helps brands reward their best customers while protecting margins from fraud and abuse without manual intervention.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 18 Mar. 2026
Part of the trouble for Cook has been differentiating between separate bans in Idaho and Utah on buying candy with SNAP.
—Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 17 Mar. 2026
Another key, differentiating factor today is that, unlike in 1970, there is a sizable Kurdish diaspora.
—Lily Hindy, The Conversation, 12 Mar. 2026
In small mountain settlements, the eyebrows were first and foremost in differentiating an innocent, unmarried young woman from a woman who had already married.
—Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for differentiating
Verb
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In discussions of people like Michael Jackson, some defenders insist on distinguishing between the artist and the art, but a bio-pic is necessarily about both.—
Kelefa Sanneh,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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The piece contends that mainstream news outlets maintain legitimate standards requiring verification of allegations before publication, distinguishing serious journalism from gossip trafficking by political rivals.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Chief Justice Monica Márquez also raised concerns that the hospital could be discriminating against transgender people, but noted Children’s might not be able to effectively push back if the federal government threw the hospital out of the Medicaid program.—
Meg Wingerter,
Denver Post,
15 Apr. 2026
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As Chief Justice John Roberts has observed, the way to stop discriminating on the basis of race is to stop discriminating on the basis of race.—
Alison Somin,
Oc Register,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Differentiating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/differentiating. Accessed 25 Apr. 2026.
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